Improvement in cans for oysters



G. H. DEXTER.

Cans for Oysters.

N0.141,-124 Patentedjuly 22,1873.

AM. PHD ramuoeRArH/c ca 1 n'assomvsfs mums) UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

CHARLES H. DEXTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANS FOR OVSTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,124, dated July 22, 1873; application filed July 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. DEXTER,

' of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Oyster-(Jan; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved can. Fig. 2 is an inside view of one of the can-heads. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the can.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to an improved mode of making rectangular packing-cans, in which oysters out of the shells are packed for transportation from one place to another. Cans of this description must be very simple in construction, so that they can be made with great rapidity; at the same time their joints must be perfectly tight, and capable of withstanding the rough usage in transportation. My object is to facilitate, and at the same time improve, the manufacture of these cans: First, by constructing them with filling-holes on their narrowest longitudinal sides, and opposite the seam which unites the longitudinal edges of the body of the cans. Second, by the employment of creased ends or heads having unbroken lipped corners, which ends or heads are crimped on the bodies of the can before soldering. Third, by creasing the ends or heads so that the creased edges will be below the central impression, as will be hereinafter explained. Fourth, by making the seam in one of the sides of the can instead of at one of the side corners or angles, whereby leaks are obviated at the top and bottom of the angles of the can; and, also, the operation of soldering this seam can be performed with a solderingmachine by passing the soldering'iron centrally over the seam while the can is supported upon a rest, thus dispensing with the skilled hand labor which is required to solder the seam when formed at one of the angles of the can, as heretofore.

In the accompanying dra wings, A represents the rectangular body of the can, which presents two broad sides and two narrow sides.

Through one of these narrow sides I cut a hole, 0, which I prefer to crease around its edge 0, for receiving the edge of a dished cover, and allowing the same to be readily and neatly soldered in place. Directly opposite the hole 0 is the seam g, which is formed by lapping the edges of the body of the can and soldering these edges together. B B represent the heads or ends of the can, which, like the can in cross-section, are rectangular. Each head B is struck up between suitable dies, which leave channels 0 around it, the outer edges to of which are lower than the flat portion of this head, as shown in Fig. 4. After the body of a can is finished by stamping out the hole 0 and soldering its edges together at g, the heads B B are put on, and, by means of clamps, these heads are firmly pressed against the ends of the body A, and while thus held their edges a are crimped upon the edges of the body, thus holding the heads firmly thereon. The subsequent and finishing operation is to solder on the heads, which may be done by the apparatus described in my application for Letters Patent bearing even date with the filing of this, or in any other convenient manner.

The old mode of making oyster-cans was to unite the edges of the body of the can along one of its angles, which was a tedious operation, and left the corners more or less imperfeet and liable to leak. The ends of the can were then soldered on the body, one end having a filling-hole through it, which was first soldered on, after which the opposite or imperforated end was soldered on by introducing through the filling-hole a hinged support. The ends or heads were simply fiat pieces, and were not, and could not be, crimped like those which I have described.

The old style of cans are liable to leak at the corners 5 but mine are not, for the reason that I make the seam g in one of the sides of the body instead of along one of its angles;

and, also, for the reason that I form the heads B with unbroken corners, lipped, as seen at b, which lips extend well over the corners of the bodyA and receive and hold the solder. The edges of the body A, between said unbrokenlipped corners b, are received into the creases or channels e of the heads, and the edges a crimped and closed tightly on them, which holds the heads inplace while soldering them, and allows perfectly-tight joints to be made.

By having the filling-hole 0 through the side of the body opposite the seam g I can make a larger hole than if it was through one of the heads, and more readily get at the edges of the cap or cover for such hole with a soldering-iron. I make the edges or surrounding the channels e in the heads B lower than the flat surfaces of these heads, in order to allow the solder to flow over said edges and into the channels by a dripping process without bringing the said fiat surfaces in contact with the bath of solder. By having the seam in one of the narrow sides of the can there is liability of the soldering-iron melting the solder which holds the heads on, as is the case when the iron is applied for soldering on the caps or covers which close the filling-holes. By having the scam in one of the sides of the can I obviate the difficulty experienced from the hot soldering-iron melting the solder which holds the head on, as is often the case when the iron is applied under the old construction for soldering on the caps or covers of the filling-holes. The ordinary internally-applied heads cannot be crimped or grooved to receive the solder which fastens the filling-hole cover, for the reason that the crimp would interfere with the tool which is used inside to force the heads in place.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- L 1. An oyster-can having a fillin g-hole through one of the sides of its body and opposite a seam, g, in the side opposite said hole, substantially as described.

2. Greased ends or heads B, having channels e and depressed edges a, which latter terminate at the corners of the heads in unbroken lips I), substantially as described.

3. The ends or heads B, constructed as described, and crimped or pressed upon the body of the can previously to soldering, substantially as described.

4. The scam in one of the sides of the can, as set forth.

CHARLES II. DEXTER.

Witnesses:

W. H. GASSAWAY, Tnos. BEMENT. 

